Christine McVie ‘Enjoyed the Storm’ of Fleetwood Mac’s ’70s

Christine McVie reflected on being seen as the peacemaker in Fleetwood Mac during their turbulent years.

But in a new interview with Rolling Stone, she said it was never quite as bad as it’s made out.

“I was supposedly like the Mother Teresa who would hang out with everybody or just try and [keep] everything nice and cool and relaxed,” McVie said, adding that she didn't realize it at the time. “But they were great people; they were great friends.”

She noted that if being the voice of reason had taken a toll on her, she didn't notice. “I enjoyed the storm,” she admitted. “Even though I am quite a peaceful person, I did enjoy that storm. Although it’s said that we fought a lot, we actually did spend a lot of our time laughing. So, that must have been forgotten.”

She allowed that she and her ex-husband John McVie "used to fight occasionally, but not that often." "I think we sorted our differences out … and we actually got on really well," she said. "It was never as ­melodramatic as Stevie [Nicks] and Lindsey [Buckingham]. And right now, we don’t live in the same hemisphere. He lives in L.A.; I live in London. But we occasionally write to each other or phone each other. … We talk a fair bit. He’s a good man, John.”

Asked when she felt happiest in the band, she replied: “I think I was happy pretty much all the time. I was happy with Bob Welch. I was happy with that era. I was always happy with Stevie and Lindsey and loved what they brought to the table musically. Also, I loved being with Neil Finn and Mike Campbell. They were a couple of great guys. I loved working with them. But Mick and John and Stevie and I all got on well, contrary to public opinion.”

McVie’s solo compilation Songbird is out now.